Explore the Family Name Hilliard
The meaning of Hilliard
English (southeastern England and Midlands): 1. variant of Hillier, with excrescent -d. Compare Hillard, Heller, and Hellard. 2. of Norman origin, from the Middle English female personal name Hildiard, Holdiard, Anglo-Norman French forms of ancient Germanic Hildigard, Hildiardis, from hild ‘battle’ + gard ‘protective enclosure, yard’. Either this or the name above was brought to Ireland from Yorkshire in the 17th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hilliard in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Hilliard witnessed a slight dip between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1675th most common surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to 1756th in popularity, marking a decline of 4.84%. Despite this drop in ranking, the raw count of individuals with the Hilliard surname actually increased from 19,564 in 2000 to 20,377 in 2010, demonstrating a growth of 4.16%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, we find that the prevalence of this surname decreased by 4.69% during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,675 | #1,756 | -4.84% |
| Count | 19,564 | 20,377 | 4.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.25 | 6.91 | -4.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hilliard
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting shifts in the distribution among those carrying the Hilliard surname. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander individuals increased by 36.84%, as did the number identifying with two or more races, which saw a substantial rise of 51.68% between 2000 and 2010. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population under this surname also grew by 47.83%. Conversely, the proportion of White individuals with this surname slightly declined by 3.32%. The Black population also saw a minimal increase of 2.06%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native population experienced the greatest percentage growth at 57.14%, albeit off a small base.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.11% | 64.88% | -3.32% |
| Black | 29.59% | 30.2% | 2.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.49% | 2.26% | 51.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.7% | 47.83% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.52% | 36.84% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.44% | 57.14% |
Hilliard ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Hilliard is British & Irish, which comprises 48.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.3%) and Nigerian (4.8%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.8% |
| French & German | 25.3% |
| Nigerian | 4.8% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Hilliard
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Hilliard have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
What Hilliard haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Hilliard is I-Z190, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-Z190 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and E-P252, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Henderson, Morgan, Jones, Thomas, James, Lewis, Price, Davis, Taylor, Phillips.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hilliard surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Hilliard have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Hilliard" Surname 39.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Hilliard" Surname 35.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hilliard" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Hilliard" Surname 18.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hilliard?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Hilliard are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition